On July 12, 1955, almost exactly five years after his longtime teammate, Red Schoendienst, hit the game-winning home run in the 1950 All-Star Game, Musial smacked the first pitch in the bottom of the 12^th inning over the right-field wall to give the National League a 6-5 victory in a game it had trailed by five runs.

Prior to the contest at Milwaukee’s County Stadium, a moment of silence was held in memory of Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward, who had founded the All-Star Game in 1933. Ward’s funeral services had been held earlier that day.

At age 34, Musial was making his 12^th All-Star Game appearance, giving him more than any other player in history even though he would be selected for 12 more before his career ended. During the first half of the season, Musial once again had been excellent, batting .298/.387/.545 with 14 doubles, 19 homers, and 65 RBIs.

Despite Musial’s impressive numbers, Cincinnati’s Ted Kluszewski started the game at first base. Kluszewski, who finished second in the 1954 National League MVP voting, had entered the All-Star break batting .317/.390/.641 with 13 doubles, 29 homers, and 65 RBIs.

With Musial on the bench, the American League jumped out to a 4-0 first-inning lead off Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts. Tigers shortstop Harvey Kuenn led off the game with a single and scored on a wild pitch before the Yankees’ Mickey Mantle launched a three-run homer. Before Roberts could record an out, the American League was already ahead by four runs.

After Nationals first baseman Mickey Vernon drove in a run in the sixth to give the American League a 5-0 lead, the National League finally answered. Johnny Logan of the hometown Braves ended the shutout with an RBI single to right field and another Braves star, Henry Aaron, scored on a throwing error to cut the lead to 5-2.

In the eighth, Cubs third baseman Randy Jackson singled to right to score Willie Mays and Aaron added a two-run single off Red Sox pitcher Frank Sullivan that tied the game. The score would remain 5-5 until the bottom of the 12^th, thanks in no small part to a defensive gem from Schoendienst, who started the game at second base.

Schoendienst grabbed Yogi Berra’s lazy, slow-rolling ground ball behind the second base bag and threw the Yankees catcher out in a play that was so close that Berra and coach Don Gutteridge fiercely argued with first base umpire Dusty Boggess.

Despite their protests, Musial, who had entered as a pinch hitter for Del Ennis in the fourth inning and then remained in the game as the left fielder, led off the bottom of the inning. As George Vecsey noted, “With the players due back in uniform two days later, nobody wanted to miss the last flight or train out of town that evening.”^[1]

As the inning began, Aaron later recalled Musial approaching the bat rack and saying, “They don’t pay us to play overtime.”

“And he went up and hit a home run,” Aaron said. “I heard that myself. I know a lot say Babe Ruth pointed. I know Stan called his.”^[2]

Berra – a St. Louis native and friend of Musial’s – had been catching the entire game for the American League and the two had conversed each time Musial had come to the plate.

After the game, Musial told the reporters that as he came to the plate for his last at-bat, he said, “You know, Yogi, I’m getting pretty tired.”

“So am I,” Berra answered.[3]

In Berra’s book, You Can Observe a Lot by Watching: What I’ve Learned about Teamwork from the Yankees and Life, he recalled the scene this way:

It was the twelfth inning and getting dark. We’d been out there almost three and a half hours, and Stash is the oldest player in the game and tells me he’s getting weary. I tell him my feet are tired too. And ain’t it a shame nobody can see the ball through the shadows? Stash tells me to relax, says we’re all going home soon. And he smashed the first pitch for a home run.[4]

However, in Vecsey’s Musial biography, he shares that he asked Berra about the story, and at that time Berra denied that Musial called his shot.[5]

In the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Bob Broeg offered a slight variation, writing that when Musial arrived at home plate, Berra was grumbling and the Cardinals’ star asked Berra what was wrong.

“It’s these extra innings, tough on a guy catching every day,” the Yankees catcher replied.

“And it’s getting tough to see back here too,” added American League umpire Bill Summers.

“Yeah, Musial replied, “I’m getting tired too.”[6]

Broeg’s version doesn’t include mention of Musial calling his shot.

Immediately after the game, Musial told reporters that while he had been swinging for the long ball in his two previous at-bats, he was just trying to get on base to lead off the 12^th inning.

“Before that, I was really swinging for the fences,” he said. “I didn’t take a vicious cut at Sullivan’s pitch in the 12^th. It was a fastball, letter high, but when I connected, I knew it was over the fence.”[7]

Sullivan, who gave up the home run, had his own amusing recollections. As he later described the scene, Berra had been pleading with Musial to end the game, and said, “For crying out loud, Stan, do something. This game has gone on far too long.”[8]

Sullivan concludes the story by sharing that Berra came to his locker after the game and said, “I should have told you he was a high fastball hitter.”[9]

Given how competitive the All-Star games were at the time, however, this is likely more a reflection of Sullivan’s exceptional storytelling skills than an accurate reflection of the moment.

Regardless of whether Musial predicted his game-winning home run or not, it did represent the fourth All-Star Game blast of his career, breaking a tie with Ralph Kiner and Ted Williams for the most in Midsummer Classic history. It also marked his 14^th hit in an All-Star Game, setting another record.

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[1] George Vecsey (2012), Stan Musial, ESPN, Location 3407 (Kindle Edition).

[2] George Vecsey (2012), Stan Musial, ESPN, Location 3407 (Kindle Edition).

[3] “Musial’s Booming Home Run in 12^th Gives N.L. 6-to-5 All-Star Victory – Yogi Baits the Man, Stan Has Last Laugh,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 13, 1955.

[4] Yogi Berra with Dave Kaplan (2008), You Can Observe a Lot by Watching: What I’ve Learned about Teamwork from the Yankees and Life, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Page 162.

[5] George Vecsey (2012), Stan Musial, ESPN, Location 3416 (Kindle Edition).

[6] Bob Broeg, “Tired Musial, Ear Bent By Weary Berra, Puts All-Star Game to Bed,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 13, 1955.

[7] Associated Press, “Stan Knew It Was Over, Wasn’t Swinging Hard,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 13, 1955.

[8] George Vecsey (2012), Stan Musial, ESPN, Location 3423 (Kindle Edition).

[9] George Vecsey (2012), Stan Musial, ESPN, Location 3427 (Kindle Edition).

The post How Stan Musial won the 1955 All-Star Game first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Lasorda had made his big-league debut with the Dodgers the previous season and had only appeared in four games, posting a 5.00 ERA in nine innings of relief work. With the Dodgers off to a 17-2 start to the season and in the midst of a six-game win streak, the unproven Lasorda was an unlikely candidate to take the mound for the league leaders. However, Don Newcombe, who was unhappy about his most recent start being skipped, had been suspended by manager Walter Alston for refusing to throw batting practice before the game.

Lasorda certainly seemed nervous as he made his first big-league start. He opened the game by walking Moon, the defending National League Rookie of the Year. With rookie Bill Virdon at the plate, Lasorda uncorked a wild pitch that advanced Moon to second, then walked Virdon. Lasorda’s second wild pitch of the inning advanced Virdon and Moon to second and third, respectively, before Lasorda struck out Stan Musial for the first out of the inning.

With cleanup hitter Rip Repulski at the plate, however, Lasorda unleashed his third wild pitch of the inning. As Moon described the play in his autobiography:

“On a 1-1 pitch, the Brooklyn southpaw skipped one into the dirt. The ball bounced away from Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella. Always eager to tear home from third base, I made a mad dash toward the plate. Unfortunately for all parties concerned, Campanella pounced on the ball in cat-like fashion. In one fluid motion, Campy flipped the ball to Lasorda, who was alertly covering the plate. The ball, the Brooklyn pitcher, and I arrived in the same place at the same time. … I slid hard, and by the time the dust settled I was out and Lasorda was on the ground agonizing in pain. He had unintentionally blocked the plate and I had accidentally spiked him just above the knee.”[1]

Despite the wound, Lasorda struck out Repulski, then got Red Schoendienst to hit an infield fly for the final out of the inning. It was only after Lasorda returned to the dugout that he realized just how deep Moon’s spikes had bitten into his leg. The three-inch wound had gone “down to the bone,” the New York Daily News reported, and required five stitches at Long Island College Hospital.[2]

Clem Labine took over in relief of Lasorda, and in the third inning Repulski drove an RBI single into left field to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. The Dodgers answered back in the third, however, as Labine hit a solo home run and Campanella and Sandy Amoros each added RBI singles.

Virdon, who was on his way to Rookie of the Year honors that season, hit a solo home run in the fifth inning that tied the game 3-3, but Duke Snider scored the winning run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Rube Walker. With the win, the Dodgers improved to 18-2 on the season, and though the season was only a few weeks old, they already held a 7 ½-game lead over the second-place Cubs.

Lasorda didn’t pitch for the Dodgers again for 19 days. On May 24, he allowed five earned runs in a two-inning relief appearance against the Pirates. On June 5, he retired both batters he faced in the 10^th inning of a 9-4 Cardinals win, and one day later he made his final appearance as a Dodgers pitcher, walking two and allowing one hit in 1/3 of an inning. When Lasorda was optioned to Triple-A Montreal, his spot on the roster was given to a promising 19-year-old rookie named Sandy Koufax.

The Dodgers sold Lasorda’s rights to the Kansas City Athletics for the 1956 season. Lasorda pitched in 18 games for the A’s that season, including five starts, posting a 6.15 ERA over 45 1/3 innings. That July, the A’s traded him to the Yankees for Wally Burnette, and Lasorda spent the remainder of his playing days in the minors, ending his big-league career with an 0-4 record.

After he was released in July 1960, Lasorda caught on as a scout for the Dodgers, ultimately becoming a manager in the Dodgers’ minor-league system before joining Alston’s major-league staff. When Alston retired in 1976, Lasorda was named his replacement, a post he held until 1996. As manager, Lasorda won 1,599 games and two World Series championships. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

The Dodgers’ longtime skipper never held any ill will against Moon, who became a member of the Dodgers himself when the Cardinals traded him to L.A. in December 1958.

“Years later, whenever our paths crossed as members of the Los Angeles Dodgers family, Tommy Lasorda always made sure to let people know I was responsible for curtailing his promising career as a pitcher,” Moon recalled. “He’d grab me by the shoulders and, to whoever happened to be nearby, spell out my role in his misfortune. By the time he got to the end of the story he would have me in a headlock. Then he would break out in uproarious laughter.”[3]

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[1] Wally Moon with Tim Gregg (2010), Moon Shots: Reflections on a Baseball Life, Rhesa Moon Enterprises, Pages 117-118.

[2] “7 ½-Up Flock Flips Cards, 4-3,” New York Daily News, May 6, 1955.

[3] Wally Moon with Tim Gregg (2010), Moon Shots: Reflections on a Baseball Life, Rhesa Moon Enterprises, Page 118.

The post How Wally Moon sent Tommy Lasorda to the hospital first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Slaughter was just two weeks away from his 38^th birthday, and the Cardinals were two days away from opening their season against the Cubs when they finalized the deal that sent Slaughter to New York for Bill Virdon, Mel Wright, and outfield prospect Emil Tellinger.

Commonly referred to as “Country” but also known affectionately as “the Old Warhorse,” Slaughter had been the franchise’s last tie to the spirit of the Gashouse Gang, though he didn’t make his big-league debut until 1938. Since then, however, Slaughter had personified the rough and tumble style of the Redbirds while emerging as one of the league’s best – and toughest – players.

Slaughter enjoyed arguably the best season of his career as a 26-year-old in 1942, when he led the league with 188 hits. With a .318 batting average, 31 doubles, 13 homers, and 98 RBIs, Slaughter led all of baseball with 17 triples and topped the Senior Circuit with 292 total bases. He finished second to teammate Mort Cooper in that year’s NL MVP voting, and in the World Series he went 5-for-19 with a double, home run, and two RBIs.

After the Cardinals won the World Series, Slaughter enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he became a sergeant and served as a physical education instructor. When he returned to the Cardinals in 1946, he hadn’t missed a beat. Now 30 years old, he hit .300 with 18 homers and a league-high 130 RBIs.

Once again, the Cardinals reached the World Series – this time after tying the Dodgers for the pennant and winning a three-game series to qualify for the World Series. Slaughter went 8-for-25 with a double, triple, home run, and two RBIs in the World Series and his “mad dash” home to win Game 7 earned a permanent place in baseball history.

Though Slaughter and the Cardinals were unable to win another NL pennant together, the now-veteran star continued to impress, batting .321 and finishing seventh in the MVP vote in 1948, then hitting .336 and finishing third in the balloting in 1949.

In 1952, he hit .300 and drove in 101 runs to finish sixth in the MVP race, and in his final season with the Cardinals, at age 37, he continued to defy Father Time, batting .291 and driving in 89 runs. In fact, on the same day the trade was announced, a story appeared in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat in which Tom Henrich, former outfielder and now a telecaster in New York, said, “They say baseball is a young man’s game, but look at that Slaughter. He was pitching for Little Rock when I was playing for New Orleans and they called him a veteran then. No, sir, it’s not a young man’s game altogether.”[1]

Coming off an 83-71-3 season in which they finished third in the National League, however, the Cardinals were inclined to disagree. With rookie Wally Moon ready to make his big-league debut, manager Eddie Stanky preferred to go with an outfield of Rip Repulski, Moon, and Stan Musial, and he knew that the proud Slaughter would chafe at playing a reserve role.

“A player like Slaughter just can’t stand sitting on a bench and, while I’m not trying to put myself on a pedestal by comparing myself with him, I couldn’t stand it either,” Stanky said.[2]

Indeed, Bob Broeg of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals’ captain had already noticed his decreased playing time during spring training, and while he had not said anything directly to Stanky, he “had made no secret of his displeasure within earshot of reporters.”[3]

“I signed a contract to play,” Slaughter said.[4]

Slaughter was informed of the trade during the Cardinals’ spring training game against the Orioles. General manager Dick Meyer asked Slaughter to put on his street clothes and then come to his office on Dodier Street. When Slaughter arrived, Meyer broke the news.

“The Old Warhorse, seated with hands on his knees, nervously folding and unfolding a handkerchief, still was sobbing when reporters, who had been handed mimeographed copies of (team president August A.) Busch’s announcement and newcomer Wright’s record a few minutes after the game ended, walked into Meyer’s office,” the Post-Dispatch reported.[5]

“It’s the greatest shock I ever had in my life,” Slaughter said several times, occasionally dropping his voice to a whisper. “To think that I spent nearly all my life with this organization, and then they trade me after I’ve given them everything I got.”[6]

Though Slaughter was clearly still stunned by the news, he soon regained his competitive fire.

“I thought I could help them to a pennant this time, and if some other guys hustled as much as I did, they’d make it,” he said. “But you can tell ‘em in New York I’ll give ‘em 100 percent just as I did the Cardinal organization.”[7]

Stanky announced to the assembled media that second baseman Red Schoendienst would replace Slaughter as the Cardinals’ new captain,[8] and Meyer told reporters that whenever Slaughter decided to call it a career, he would be welcomed back to the organization.

“I don’t think he’s ready to quit now, but I’ll say this – the door here would be wide open,” Meyer said.[9]

In a prepared statement, Busch wrote that the move gave the Cardinals a chance to give Moon an opportunity for playing time while strengthening the team’s prospect pool.

“We have just traded one of the greatest players in the history of the Cardinals,” Busch said. “Personally, this has been one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to participate in. Enos Slaughter has been ‘Mr. Baseball’ for almost 20 years. Fans in every part of the country have been thrilled by his aggressiveness and determination. The term ‘hustle’ was practically coined for him. Slaughter is a champion all the way, and it is fitting that he joins the world champion New York Yankees.”[10]

“This is the toughest part of my job as manager, but a championship ball player is going to a championship ball club,” Stanky said. “We feel we have good young outfielders, and if we have Enos around, we won’t play those young players.”[11]

Meanwhile, the Yankees were delighted to add Slaughter as a bench bat to a team that already had Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Hank Bauer, Joe Collins, and Andy Carey.

“We gave up nothing that could help us this year in return for someone who is sure to help us a lot,” Yankees co-owner Del Webb said.[12]

“He’s an excellent man to have on the bench and should be very useful for pinch-hitting duties,” one Yankees official said. “Besides, he gives us protection in case Mantle’s knee doesn’t come around too quickly.”[13]

In St. Louis, the trade was met with anger and disgust.

“Cardinal fans probably are more indignant over the departure of Slaughter than they have been over any deal since Rogers Hornsby was traded to the Giants for Frankie Frisch and Jimmy Ring after the 1926 season,” J. Roy Stockton wrote in the Post-Dispatch.[14]

In the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Robert L. Burnes explained that, “Enos Slaughter was more than a ballplayer, as any Cardinal fan could tell you. He was an institution – not only among the fans, but among the players as well. To be trite again, Enos was the ball players’ ball player. He played the game the way it should be played.”[15]

As the player tabbed to replace Slaughter, nobody felt the pressure more than Moon. As he stepped to the plate for his big-league at-bat, the hometown crowd at Sportsman’s Park booed the 24-year-old mercilessly.

“What should have been one of the best days of my life, April 13, 1954, was turning out to be one of the worst,” Moon wrote in 2010. “As I stepped to the plate for my first major league at-bat in the home half of the first inning of the first game of the new season, I was greeted with a torrent of verbal castigation and denunciation from seemingly every corner of the park.”[16]

Incredibly, Moon responded by hitting a solo home run over the right-field wall, becoming just the second Cardinal to hit a home run in his first major-league at-bat. It was the beginning of a Rookie of the Year-winning campaign for Moon, who hit .304 with 12 homers, 76 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases. Moon went on to play five seasons with the Cardinals before he was traded to the Dodgers, where he became famous for his “Moon shots” over the high screen just 251 feet down the left-field line at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Slaughter hit .248 with a home run and 19 RBIs for the Yankees in 1954 and was traded to the Athletics after just nine at-bats in 1955. At the time, the owners of the Yankees and A’s were friends, and the A’s essentially functioned as another farm team for the Yankees. Playing regularly once again, Slaughter hit .322 with five homers and 34 RBIs.

In 1956, the A’s traded him back to the Yankees, allowing him to win his third and fourth career World Series rings with the Bronx Bombers in both ’56 and ’58. In Game 3 of the 1956 World Series, Slaughter hit a key three-run homer to lift New York to a 5-3 win.

The Yankees released Slaughter in 1959, and he played the final games of his career with the Braves before retiring after 19 big-league seasons. In 1985, Slaughter was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 1996, the Cardinals retired his number 9.

Virdon went on to win the Rookie of the Year trophy in 1955, batting .281 with 17 homers and 68 RBIs. In 1956, the Cardinals traded Virdon to the Pirates for Bobby Del Greco and Dick Littlefield. Virdon went on to play in 1,583 games and bat .267 across a 12-year major-league career.

Wright pitched two big-league seasons for the Cardinals, going 2-2 with a 7.14 ERA across 46 23/ innings.

Tellinger spent just one season in the Cardinals’ system and never reached the majors.

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[1] Robert L. Burnes, “The Bench Warmer,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 11, 1954.

[2] Bob Broeg, “Trade of Slaughter Puts Rookie Moon and Cardinal Office on Spot,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1954.

[3] Bob Broeg, “Trade of Slaughter Puts Rookie Moon and Cardinal Office on Spot,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1954.

[4] Bob Broeg, “Trade of Slaughter Puts Rookie Moon and Cardinal Office on Spot,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1954.

[5] “Yanks Sought Enos in Raschi Deal; Cards Reopened Case,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1954.

[6] “Yanks Sought Enos in Raschi Deal; Cards Reopened Case,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1954.

[7] “Yanks Sought Enos in Raschi Deal; Cards Reopened Case,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1954.

[8] “Yanks Sought Enos in Raschi Deal; Cards Reopened Case,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1954.

[9] “Enos May Return To Cards Some Day,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1954.

[10] “Busch Says Slaughter Deal Will Give Rookies a Chance,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 12, 1954.

[11] “Yanks Sought Enos in Raschi Deal; Cards Reopened Case,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1954.

[12] Hy Turkin, “Yanks Get Enos Slaughter,” New York Daily News, April 12, 1954.

[13] “‘Good Deal for Us, We Gave Up Practically Nothing,’ Says Webb,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1954.

[14] J. Roy Stockton, “Extra Innings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1954.

[15] Robert L. Burnes, “The Bench Warmer,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 13, 1954.

[16] Wally Moon with Tim Gregg (2010), Moon Shots: Reflections on a Baseball Life, Rhesa Moon Enterprises, Page 1.

The post Enos Slaughter: Cardinals-Yankees 1954 Trade first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

“We hope the new uniforms will match the new, bold look and attitude of the 1956 Cardinals,” Lane said. “We have striven for a lighter, roomier uniform that will allow for more comfort, greater speed, and greater ability for the players. We hope it will be reflected favorably in the percentages.”[1]

Originally designed by Ms. Allie May Schmidt of the Ferguson Presbyterian Church in 1921, the iconic birds on the bat had been worn on the Cardinals’ uniform almost every year since. However, Lane, nicknamed “Trader” Lane for his penchant for swapping players, didn’t feel limited to making changes to the Cardinals’ roster. Before he traded Bill Virdon and Red Schoendienst away (and tried to trade Stan Musial before owner August A. Busch Jr. put a halt to it), Lane unveiled a new design for the Cardinals’ iconic jerseys.

As the St. Louis Globe-Democrat designed the new design:

Gone are the twin red birds perched on the bat. One has disappeared, the other now is on the left sleeve, brandishing a bat. Across the chest of the ’56 white flannel home suits will be the script word “Cardinals” in Cardinal red on navy blue, and a streamer of red will cross the chest below the letters. Numbers will be red on navy blue and the swashbuckling cardinal on the sleeve also will be in red.

“The only part of the uniform that remains identical with last year are the socks. They will be red, with seven alternating stripes of white, blue, and red. A red belt and red sweatshirt will be worn with the outfit. The familiar blue cap with the red peak also is gone, replaced by a solid blue chapeau with a red button. On the front will be an interlocking “St. L.” in red, trimmed with white.[2]

Later in the article, it described the Cardinals’ new road jerseys:

On the road, the Cardinals will be attired in pearl gray flannels, with the same Cardinal perched on the left sleeve. The left breast will be adorned with a large, interlocking St. L.” The “S” and “t” will be in navy blue with red edging. The “L” will be in red with a blue outline. Numerals – red on navy blue – will be identical with the home suits. The same navy blue cap will be worn on the road, and the belt and sweatshirt also will be navy blue. Road uniform stockings will be blue, with three white stripes edged in a red border.[3]

The single cardinal in a batter stance that was placed on the sleeve came to be known as the “Sluggerbird.” It only appeared on game uniforms in 1956 and has been used as a secondary logo ever since.

A little over a week after the new jerseys were unveiled, an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that Lane “had heard that some old-timers resented the dropping of the pair of Redbirds astride a bat, hallmark of the Cardinals through their great years.”[4] Lane, however, would not be deterred.

“We’re not taking the color out of the Cardinals or their uniforms,” Lane said. “Wait till you see the uniforms and the men we have in them. I don’t think anybody will be disappointed.”[5]

Lane was wildly mistaken, and 1956 proved to be the only year for his new uniform design, as fans were vocal in their disappointment. In 1957, the Cardinals appeared for their season opener with a newly modified Birds on the Bat logo, which Lane admitted had been reinstated by “popular demand.”[6]

The new uniforms, however, were not quite the same as the original. The bat on which the Cardinals perched was now yellow instead of black. The “C” in “Cardinals” now hooked over the bat and included a swash on the overhang. These updates remained largely consistent for decades, carrying through to the present day.

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[1] “Cards Decked Out In New Uniforms,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 26, 1956.

[2] “Cards Decked Out In New Uniforms,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 26, 1956.

[3] “Cards Decked Out In New Uniforms,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 26, 1956.

[4] “‘Cardinals’ to Be Lettered Across Road Uniforms,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 4, 1956.

[5] “‘Cardinals’ to Be Lettered Across Road Uniforms,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 4, 1956.

[6] Bob Broeg, “Cards Make Early Lead Hold Up, Defeat A’s, 4-2,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 14, 1957.

The post Why the birds on the bat were removed from the Cardinals’ 1956 uniforms first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

The Cardinals had already cleared room for Boyer by trading all-star third baseman Ray Jablonski and pitcher Gerry Staley to Cincinnati for relief pitcher Frank Smith. Jablonski had burst onto the scene two years earlier, hitting 21 homers and driving in 112 to finish third in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting in 1953, then following that performance with a .296 batting average, 12 homers, and 104 RBIs in 1954.

Nonetheless, the Cardinals were so excited by Boyer’s potential that they were willing to trade Jablonski to leave third base open for Boyer.

“There’s no doubt that there’s bound to be less pressure than trying to beat out a man who drove in 100 runs in the big leagues,” Boyer said.[1]

Though Cardinals vice president Bill Walsingham insisted that the Cardinals had plenty of options at third base, including moving rookie outfielder Bill Virdon to third or moving second baseman Red Schoendienst to third base and installing Don Blasingame at second, it was clear that Boyer was the Cardinals’ preferred choice.

“We weren’t putting all of our eggs in one basket by depending entirely upon this rookie, Boyer, to replace Jabbo,” Walsingham said. “I know that everyone in the Cardinal minor league organization is high on Ken and he will be given every opportunity to take over, but as I pointed out before, our 1955 team will have a lot of flexibility and versatility.”[2]

Boyer had begun his professional baseball career as a pitcher after Cardinals owner Fred Saigh signed him for $6,000. At the time, any player who signed for more than $6,000 was deemed a “bonus player” and had to be kept on the major-league roster. Instead, Boyer was assigned to Class D Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where he went 5-1 with a 3.42 ERA.

As a 19-year-old, Boyer went 6-8 with a 4.39 ERA. While his pitching stats were pedestrian, Boyer shone in the batter’s box, batting .342 with 17 doubles, six triples, and nine homers in 80 games. It proved to be his final season on the mound, as manager Vedie Himsl converted him to third base.

“I had been a shortstop in high school, but I was terrible when I began at third base,” Boyer said. “I’m glad of the change, though, because my arm hurt when I pitched and there’s nothing like getting to play every day.”[3]

In 1951, Boyer hit .306 with 14 homers and 90 RBIs in Class A Omaha, then missed the 1952 and 1953 seasons while serving in the Army. When he returned in 1954, he didn’t miss a beat. Playing for the Houston Buffaloes in the Class AA Texas League, Boyer hit .319 with 21 homers and 116 RBIs, becoming just the 16^th rookie in the history of the league to exceed 200 hits. He finished the year with 202, including a 30-game hit streak.[4]

According to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Boyer was said to possess “a great throwing arm, wide range and (a) perfect temperament.”[5] St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports editor J. Roy Stockton wrote that “if Boyer is as good as observers insist he is, third base will be stronger than it was last season. Boyer, if he can field, won’t have to hit much above .300 to be an improvement over Ray Jablonski.”[6]

The Globe-Democrat reported that Boyer “was the cause of considerable alarm” when the team learned that he had been beaned while playing the Cuban Winter League in November. Fortunately, there was little cause for alarm.

“I was out about a month and a half but came back and hit .305,” Boyer said. “I’m looking forward to a good year.”[7]

Boyer did enjoy a good year, hitting a two-run homer on April 12 for his first major-league hit. He finished the year with a .264 batting average to go along with 18 homers, 62 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. The following year, he made the first of seven career all-star teams, hitting .306 with 26 homers and 98 RBIs.

In 1957, Boyer went through another position change, this time moving to center field to allow rookie Eddie Kasko to break into the lineup. That year, he led all National League outfielders in fielding percentage, then returned to third base in 1958, where he won the first of four consecutive gold gloves and earned MVP votes for the first of seven consecutive years.

Named the Cardinals’ team captain in 1959, Boyer was a 33-year-old in 1964 when he hit .295 with 24 homers and led all of baseball with a career-high 119 RBIs. Not coincidentally, Boyer won the National League MVP Award as he led the Cardinals to the National League pennant and, ultimately, the World Series title. That season, Boyer hit for the cycle for the second time in his career, then capped off the year with a game-winning grand slam in Game 4 of the World Series.

After the 1965 season, the Cardinals traded Boyer to the Mets for Al Jackson and Charley Smith. After stints with the White Sox and Dodgers, he chose to retire following the 1969 season. He ended his 15-year major league career with 2,143 hits, a .287 career batting average, and 282 home runs.

After his playing career ended, Boyer became a manager in the Cardinals’ minor league system. In 1978, he was named manager to replace Vern Rapp. He managed the club to a 166-190 record before he was replaced by Whitey Herzog early in the 1980 season.

In 1984, two years after he passed away from cancer, the Cardinals retired his number 14. He was inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014.

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[1] Bob Broeg, “Boyer, Cunningham, Four Others Sign; Only 4 Birds Out,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 1955.

[2] Ray Gillespie, “Cards See Clover Era In Talent Crop,” The Sporting News, February 23, 1955.

[3] Bob Broeg, “Boyer, Cunningham, Four Others Sign; Only 4 Birds Out,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 1955.

[4] “Birds Sign Cunningham, Boyer And Four Others,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 20, 1955.

[5] “Birds Sign Cunningham, Boyer And Four Others,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 20, 1955.

[6] J. Roy Stockton, “Extra Innings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 27, 1955.

[7] “Birds Sign Cunningham, Boyer And Four Others,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 20, 1955.

The post Cardinals sign Ken Boyer: February 18, 1955 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

On January 29, 1958, the Cardinals called a morning press conference at Anheuser-Busch Brewery to announce that Musial, who had been playing for $80,000 per season since 1952, had signed a new, six-figure contract. Team president August A Busch Jr. and general manager Bing Devine joined Musial in making the announcement.

“Baseball has rewarded me richly and the Cardinals have always treated me more than fairly,” Musial said. “This year, in particular, the Cardinals wanted me to have this contract. I would have settled for less, but Mr. Busch and Bing wanted me to have it and I feel highly honored.”[1]

Indeed, Musial’s negotiations entering his age-37 season played out very differently from most. Musial had seen that Pirates star Ralph Kiner had just become the National League’s highest-paid player with a $90,000 contract.

“I was talking to Bing, and I said, ‘I think I should be the highest-paid player in the National League. I want $91,000,’” Musial recalled. “I went on a trip and came back, and Bing called me in to talk about my contract. I asked him, ‘Did I get the $91,000?’ And he said, ‘No!’ Then he said, ‘Mr. Busch wants you to be the first $100,000 player.’”[2]

It was a far cry from the $300 he earned in his first minor-league season after the Cardinals signed him out of Donora High School in Pennsylvania.[3] In his first full big-league season in 1942, the Cardinals paid him $4,200, and earned $15,000 in 1946 while winning the National League batting crown and leading the Cardinals to the World Series championship. He earned $30,000 in 1947, then saw his pay increased to $50,000 in 1949. As Musial won three straight batting titles from 1950 through 1952, owner Fred Saigh boosted his salary to $70,000 before it stayed steady at $80,000 through the early years of Anheuser-Busch’s ownership of the team.[4]

“Who would have thought, Miss Murphy, that when I signed for $4,200 in 1942, there’d ever be a day when I’d sign for this?” Musial said to Mary Murphy, the secretary to the team’s presidents since 1930 and the one who had typed up each of Musial’s contracts since he was called up to the majors in 1941.[5]

Musial was coming off his seventh batting title, after hitting .351 with 29 homers and 102 RBIs at age 36. With Musial leading the club in hits (tied with Don Blasingame), doubles, and homers, the Cardinals finished second to the Milwaukee Braves with an 87-67 record.

During the season, Musial extended his NL record of 895 consecutive games played before a chip fracture in his left shoulder took him out of the lineup in late August. When he returned in mid-September, Musial cut down on his swing and found that the adjustment actually helped him, as he hit safely in 16 of his final 27 at-bats.

“I’m taking treatments several times a week and x-rays once a month,” Musial said. “The shoulder hasn’t given me any pain and when spring training rolls around, I’ll be ready.”[6]

“We’re confident that Stan again will bring back the batting championship and lead us in a wonderful fight for the National League pennant,” Busch said.[7]

Though Musial played play six more seasons, he already was answering questions about how much longer he would play.

“I feel like I can play a couple more years,” he said. “We had a wonderful chance last year and we’ll have a fine club coming along again this year. The fact that we’re up in the race helps me, I think.”[8]

Musial hit .337 that season with 17 homers and 62 RBIs and collected his 3,00^th career hit on May 13. However, in 1959, he saw his batting average dip to a career-low .255 with 14 homers and just 44 RBIs. At his request, he took a pay cut back to $80,000 for the 1960 season.

“The Cardinals have been generous to me the past few years, so I thought I’d be kind to them,” he said. He added, “I’ve taken a (reduction) but I still have one of the highest salaries and one of the best contracts in baseball.”[9]

Despite the pay cut, Musial’s 1960 salary brought him over $1 million in career regular-season earnings.[10]

Musial continued playing through his age-42 season in 1963. He finished his career with 3,630 hits and a .331 career batting average over 22 seasons and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.

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[1] Bob Broeg, “Musial Signs for $100,000, First Increase in 6 years,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 29, 1958.

[2] Bing Devine (2012), The Memoirs of Bing Devine: Stealing Lou Brock and Other Winning Moves by a Master GM (Kindle Android version), Location 1514.

[3] Bob Broeg, “Musial Signs for $100,000, First Increase in 6 years,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 29, 1958.

[4] Bob Broeg, “Musial Signs for $100,000, First Increase in 6 years,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 29, 1958.

[5] Bob Broeg, “Dickson Rejected Job As Cardinal Coach Before Joining A’s,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 30, 1958.

[6] Jack Herman, “Musial’s $100,000 Pact Sets N.L. Record,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, January 30, 1958.

[7] “Musial Wins $20,000 Raise,” Cincinnati Enquirer, January 30, 1958.

[8] Jack Herman, “Musial’s $100,000 Pact Sets N.L. Record,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, January 30, 1958.

[9] Neal Russo, “Musial Takes First Cut, Signs For $80,000,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 21, 1960.

[10] Neal Russo, “Musial Takes First Cut, Signs For $80,000,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 21, 1960.

The post How Stan Musial became the NL’s first $100,000 player first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

“During its 100 years of existence, Anheuser-Busch has shared in all St. Louis civic activity,” Anheuser-Busch chairman August A. Busch Jr. said. “The Cardinals, like ourselves, are a St. Louis institution. We hope to make the Cardinals one of the greatest baseball teams of all time.”[1]

Saigh had purchased the club just over five years earlier in November 1947, but had recently pleaded no contest and been sentenced to 15 months in prison and fined $15,000 for filing fall income tax returns. Under pressure from Major League Baseball commissioner Ford C. Frick, and with his prison sentence set to begin on May 4,[2] Saigh put the club up for sale.

“I was so disgusted, so horrified that after having such a good name in the community, they would do this to me,” Saigh explained. “I just gave up. I told Frick I didn’t want to embarrass baseball. I said, ‘There is nothing you can do to get me out. I just don’t want to embarrass baseball.’”[3]

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals were so close to moving to Milwaukee that team employees were told in early February that if they wished to move with the team to Wisconsin, their expenses would be paid and the team would cover any losses they incurred while selling their homes.[4]

The price? Approximately $4 million.[5]

According to the Post-Dispatch, Saigh planned to travel to New York to get permission from Frick to sell the Cardinals to the Milwaukee group. However, Jim Hickock, president of First National Bank, and Dave Calhoun, president of St. Louis Union Trust, asked Saigh to postpone that trip because Anheuser-Busch and its president, August A. Busch Jr., had serious interest. Saigh, eager to keep the ballclub in St. Louis, agreed.[6]

“During the past weeks, I have had several serious offers for the Cardinals, but all involved moving the club away from St. Louis,” Saigh said at the press conference announcing the sale. “From the time I decided to sell, Mr. Busch and his associates, through David R. Calhoun and James P. Hickok, urged that the club remain in St. Louis. They told me Anheuser-Busch might be interested in acquiring the club if necessary to keep it in St. Louis. I kept Mr. Busch and his associates informed of the situation. When it became apparent that an out-of-town group was ready to purchase the Cardinals at a price which I felt was a fair value for the club, I informed Mr. Busch and his associates of the impending sale. They again expressed their serious interest in having the club remain here. For the past several days, we have been working out details with Calhoun and Hickok, Anheuser-Busch officials, lawyers, and others. There has been a complete meeting of minds on all details.”[7]

Calhoun and Hickock issued a joint statement of their own that shared the same series of events.

“Mr. Busch informed us of his keen desire to see the Cardinal baseball club have a continuing home in St. Louis. He felt the team was very much a part of the St. Louis area and authorized us to watch the situation and take whatever steps were necessary to keep the team here.

“We have been in close touch with Fred Saigh. As negotiations continued, it became clear that no serious offers were being made by any St. Louis group which would have any chance of assuring the Cardinals’ remaining here. When we informed Mr. Busch that negotiations were about to be closed for sale of the Cardinals to a group which intended to move the club out of St. Louis, he authorized us to enter discussions with Saigh to buy the Cardinals for Anheuser-Busch. We all felt that if the Cardinals were moved out of St. Louis, this community would have lost a great civic asset. Mr. Saigh made several important concessions to keep the Cardinals here and deserves sincere appreciation.”[8]

While the initial announcement presented Busch as a sportsman who bought the Cardinals as a civic gesture to keep the team in St. Louis, Saigh later changed his tune. In his later telling, Hickock and Calhoun talked Busch into the deal.

“When I made it known I wanted to sell the team, I got an offer from Milwaukee and two from the Houston area. Nobody from St. Louis,” Saigh told author and historian Peter Golenbock. “Finally, Jim Hickock, who was president of First National Bank, and Dave Calhoun, who was president of St. Louis Union Trust, went to Gussie Busch and really had to twist his arm. They bring out that he was a savior, but that was bullshit. The ego of some people is hard to understand. He did not volunteer. No. Hickock and Calhoun went to him and told him Anheuser-Busch should take over the team. They explained to Gussie that it would be a good thing for the city and a good thing for the brewery. We had a couple of meetings. They had to do a good deal of arm-twisting. I could have made between $700,000 and $750,000 more. But I wanted to leave the team in the city. The public had been good to me, and I would have felt I would have let them down otherwise. It mattered because I would have had to answer to this fan or that fan: ‘Why did you do it?’ My reputation was important.”[9]

Regardless of how the deal came about, it’s clear that Anheuser-Busch’s purchase kept the Cardinals franchise in St. Louis and prevented a sale that could have moved the team to a new city.

Busch told reporters that the $3.75 million price included $2.5 million that was paid to Saigh and the assumption of $1.25 million in debt.[10] The sale also included the Cardinals’ minor-league affiliates in Columbus, Ohio; Rochester, N.Y.; Houston, Texas; Columbus, Ga.; Omaha, Neb.; Winston-Salem, N.C.; Fresno, Calif.; Albany, Ga.; and Hamilton Ontario.

When reporters asked Busch about the Cardinals’ radio broadcasts, which were sponsored by Anheuser-Busch’s rival Griesedieck Bros. Brewery Company, he said that Anheuser-Busch had no intention of trying to buy the contract from Griesedieck.

“I am going at this from the sports angle and not as a sales weapon for Budweiser beer,” Busch said.[11]

However, in his book, The Spirit of St. Louis: A History of the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns, Golenbock writes, “This was public relations drivel to make it appear he had bought the team in the spirit of civic pride. Nothing could have been further from the truth, which was that Gussie Busch, who had never been a baseball fan, thought the game ‘dull.’ As he described it, ‘There’s a lot of standing around.’ When Mr. Busch spoke before the Anheuser-Busch board of directors, he revealed his real motives. He predicted to his directors, ‘Development of the Cardinals will have untold value for our company. This is one of the finest moves in the history of Anheuser-Busch.’”[12]

Indeed, Busch soon capitalized on the potent marketing tool the Cardinals presented. After Busch asked Browns owner Bill Veeck – the owner of Sportsman’s Park and the Cardinals’ landlord at the stadium – to upgrade the facility, Veeck protested that he couldn’t afford the upgrades Busch was requesting. Instead, Busch bought Sportsman’s Park from Veeck and the Browns for $800,000.[13]

Initially, Busch sought to change the name of the stadium to Budweiser Stadium, but the commissioner’s office and Protestant church groups argued against it. Instead, he named the stadium “Busch Memorial Stadium” in memory of his father, grandfather, and late brother.[14] While “Budweiser Stadium” didn’t last as a name, Busch soon made certain that his stadium was filled with Budweiser marketing, and later came out with Busch Beer. Within four years, Anheuser-Busch was the top brewery in the United States.[15]

Ironically, Anheuser-Busch’s success made Saigh even more money than the sale of the Cardinals did. While stock in Anheuser-Busch was not part of the team’s sale, Saigh used the proceeds to invest significant sums into the company. Former St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports editor Bob Broeg estimated that Saigh purchased the equivalent of $6 million in Anheuser-Busch Stock and that its value had increased by $60 million.[16]

“I’ll tell you why I bought Anheuser-Busch stock when I sold them the Cardinals,” Saigh explained in 2011. “It’s a matter of history. Schlitz, the leading beer company in this country, had Cub television and radio, and they lost it. Within two years, you never heard anything of Schlitz. When Anheuser-Busch took over the Cardinals, they were third behind Schlitz and Miller. And I knew it. And I knew baseball was going to make Anheuser-Busch. So that’s why I bought the stock.”[17]

While the sale benefitted Busch and Saigh and allowed Cardinals fans to keep their team in St. Louis, Browns fans were not so fortunate. After the 1953 season, recognizing that he could never compete with Anheuser-Busch’s deep pockets, Veeck sold the Browns to a group led by Baltimore attorney Clarence Miles. The new ownership group moved the Browns to Baltimore and renamed them the Orioles in time for the 1954 season.

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[1] “Cardinals Ball Club Sold To Anheuser-Busch Inc. By Fred Saigh For $3,750,000,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 1953.

[2] “Cardinals Ball Club Sold To Anheuser-Busch Inc. By Fred Saigh For $3,750,000,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 1953.

[3] Peter Golenbock (2011), The Spirit of St. Louis: A History of the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns, HarperCollins Ebooks, Page 397.

[4] “Cardinals Ball Club Sold To Anheuser-Busch Inc. By Fred Saigh For $3,750,000,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 1953.

[5] “Cardinals Ball Club Sold To Anheuser-Busch Inc. By Fred Saigh For $3,750,000,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 1953.

[6] “Cardinals Ball Club Sold To Anheuser-Busch Inc. By Fred Saigh For $3,750,000,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 1953.

[7] “Cardinals Ball Club Sold To Anheuser-Busch Inc. By Fred Saigh For $3,750,000,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 1953.

[8] “Cardinals Ball Club Sold To Anheuser-Busch Inc. By Fred Saigh For $3,750,000,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 1953.

[9] Peter Golenbock (2011), The Spirit of St. Louis: A History of the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns, HarperCollins Ebooks, Page 397.

[10] “Cardinals Ball Club Sold To Anheuser-Busch Inc. By Fred Saigh For $3,750,000,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 1953.

[11] “Cardinals Ball Club Sold To Anheuser-Busch Inc. By Fred Saigh For $3,750,000,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 1953.

[12] Peter Golenbock (2011), The Spirit of St. Louis: A History of the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns, HarperCollins Ebooks, Page 405.

[13] “Busch Buys Sportsmans Park,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 10, 1953.

[14] Peter Golenbock (2011), The Spirit of St. Louis: A History of the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns, HarperCollins Ebooks, Page 405.

[15] Peter Golenbock (2011), The Spirit of St. Louis: A History of the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns, HarperCollins Ebooks, Page 406.

[16] Peter Golenbock (2011), The Spirit of St. Louis: A History of the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns, HarperCollins Ebooks, Page 398.

[17] Peter Golenbock (2011), The Spirit of St. Louis: A History of the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns, HarperCollins Ebooks, Page 398.

The post How Anheuser-Busch bought the Cardinals in 1953 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

“The rest of us got the word that Red had been traded just as we were boarding a train out of St. Louis for an eastern trip,” he wrote in Schoendienst’s 1998 autobiography. “It was the saddest day of my career. I slammed the door to my train berth shut and didn’t open it for a long time.”[1]

Sportswriter Jack Herman, who was traveling on the train with the Cardinals to their next series in Pittsburgh, wrote, “Reaction of Cardinal players to the trade ranged from uncomfortable silence to downright shock. In the early hours of the train trip to Pittsburgh, most of them had little or nothing to say.” He added, “Musial, Schoendienst’s best friend and long-time roommate and usually available for quotes, maintained the same tight-lipped silence he had all day.”[2]

Even members of the St. Louis media took the news hard.

“Maybe, as we said, the deal will look better next week or the week after for the Cardinals,” wrote Robert L. Burnes, sports editor for the Globe-Democrat. “For the sake of St. Louis fans, we hope it does. But nobody in the deal is going to assume the place in the hearts of Cardinals fans that Red Schoendienst held and that’s what hurts. We’re gonna miss him and if that’s the wrong attitude, it’s just too doggone bad.”[3]

On June 14, 1956, Cardinals general manager Frank Lane traded Schoendienst, catcher Bill Sarni, outfielder Jackie Brandt, and pitcher Dick Littlefield to the Giants for shortstop Alvin Dark, outfielder/first baseman Whitey Lockman, catcher Ray Katt, and pitcher Don Liddle.

The day before the deal was announced, the St. Louis Globe-Democrat and St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals were exploring a three-team trade that would send Phillies first baseman/catcher Stan Lopata and the Giants’ Dark to St. Louis for Schoendienst or left fielder Rip Repulski, who was leading the league with a .378 batting average.[4][5]

“I certainly don’t foresee anything lavish and, in fact, there’s only the slight possibility of our trading at all,” Lane said.[6]

If reporters were skeptical of Lane’s claim, that certainly was to be understood. Since replacing Dick Meyer as the Cardinals’ general manager in October, the man known as “Trader” Lane had entirely rebuilt the Redbirds’ roster with a series of deals, including:

• Brooks Lawrence and Sonny Senerchia to the Redlegs for Jackie Collum;
• Pete Whisenant to the Cubs for Hank Sauer;
• Paul LaPalme to the Redlegs for Milt Smith;
• Luis Arroyo to the Pirates for Max Surkont;
• Ben Flowers, Harvey Haddix, and Stu Miller to the Phillies for Murry Dickson and Herm Wehmeier;
• Solly Hemus to the Phillies for Bobby Morgan;
• Joe Frazier and Alex Grammas to the Redlegs for Chuck Harmon;
• Bill Virdon to the Pirates for Bobby Del Greco and Littlefield;
• and a player to be named later (Dick Rand) to the Pirates for Toby Atwell.

However, none of Lane’s previous trades included a player as popular as Schoendienst, a 12-year Cardinals veteran and nine-time all-star who hit the game-winning homer in the 1950 all-star game.

“We let Schoendienst go with great reluctance, naturally, but to get a star like Dark you’ve got to give a star,” Lane said. “I don’t say Al is as great as he was five years ago. No one is, not even Red. (Manager Fred Hutchinson) and I were certain, though, we didn’t have a chance to stay in the pennant race with our defense at first base and shortstop. I believe we’ve helped our pitching a bit by getting Liddle and, frankly, Hutch had been figuring on Smith taking over as No. 1 catcher on the strength of his showing so far. Sure, Brandt could come back to haunt us, but, again, we’re concerned about 1956 and not the future.”[7]

The trade allowed the Cardinals to rearrange their defense. Wally Moon, a career outfielder, could now move from first base to center field with Lockman taking his former position. Additionally, shortstop Don Blasingame returned to his natural position at second base, with the former Giants captain Dark taking over at shortstop.

“Blasingame has been uncertain at shortstop,” Lane said. “In his normal position at second and with the experienced Dark to help him, I think we’ll be better off. Lockman will help us at first base. Moon will be a better player in the outfield. He gave it a great try at first base, but he was the first to admit he was out of his element.”[8]

In another interview, Lane added, “I thought Moon gave first base a courageous battle, but his failure to come up with low throws, even more than his unfamiliarity with other mechanics of the position, had a doubly tough effect on the rest of the infield,” Lane said. “Dropped throws cost outs, but more important, they caused the rest of the infield to press in an effort to make sure throws.”[9]

The trade also meant that rookie catcher Hal Smith would take over the backstop duties for Katt.

“Hutch is high on Smitty, especially his throwing arm, which he says is the best in the league,” Lane said.[10]

In Dark, the Cardinals received a veteran infielder with three all-star selections and a Rookie of the Year trophy to his credit. The Giants’ longtime captain, Dark also brought significant winning experience to the club, having won the pennant with the Braves in 1948 before leading the Giants to NL title in 1951 and finally winning the World Series in 1954.

“I think we’ll be stronger with Dark and Blasingame than with Blasingame and Schoendienst,” Hutchinson said. “I’ve been hoping to give Smith more chance to catch and this is his opportunity.”[11]

While the trade rebuilt the Cardinals’ infield, Lane said the cornerstone to the deal was the lefthander Liddle, a native of Mount Carmel, Illinois. Liddle had won 10 games for the Giants in 1955 and was 1-2 with a 3.92 ERA at the time of the trade.

“They didn’t want to give up any pitching,” Lane said. “For an hour or so this morning, the deal was off. (Giants vice president Chub Feeney) called me and said that (team president) Horace Stoneham didn’t want to give up Liddle. I said if we couldn’t improve our pitching staff then the deal was off. They called back later and said okay and we made it.”[12]

Meanwhile, the Giants insisted on the 22-year-old Brandt, who hit .305 with 12 homers, 70 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases the previous season for Triple-A Rochester.

“We’re very excited about getting Brandt,” Feeney said. “We wouldn’t have made the deal without him. He can run, he can throw, and he can hit. He gives us what we needed most – a good, young, righthanded hitter. Frankly, we were surprised that the Cards would let him go.”[13]

New York manager Bill Rigney liked the deal because he believed the trade would improve the Giants’ glovework.

“I know one thing, it’s going to help us defensively,” he said. “Especially up the middle. We needed a second baseman like Schoendienst.”[14]

The timing of the trade was unfortunate for Schoendienst, who was out of the lineup with a shoulder injury. He and his wife had heard trade rumors the previous year and held off on buying a new home in southwest St. Louis. By the time the 1956 campaign started, however, they believed they were safe to purchase the home.[15]

While Schoendienst was good-natured about the trade in the press, reportedly saying, “That’s the way the ball bounces,” and “New York’s money is as good as St. Louis’s,”[16] he was frustrated that he didn’t learn about the deal until he heard it on the radio.

“One day I picked up (Stan Musial) on the way to the ballpark like I always did and he was upset,” Schoendienst wrote in his 1998 autobiography. “I asked him what was wrong, and he said, ‘I think I’m going to be traded and I’m not going to go.’ I thought to myself, ‘Well, I imagine I’ll be traded soon.’ The team hadn’t won in a while and some of us were getting older. I knew they wanted to bring in some younger players, and that would require trading some of the older guys. I never heard any specific rumors, but I still kind of prepared myself for the news.

“What made me mad, however, was how I found out I had been traded to the Giants – I heard it on the radio. I guess Lane’s secretary tried to call after I already had left for the ballpark, but I didn’t appreciate getting the news that way.”[17]

If the trade did improve the Cardinals’ defense, it didn’t show up in their results on the field. Though the Cardinals were 29-24 and half a game out of the National League lead at the time of the trade, they slumped to a 76-78-2 finish for fourth place.

Over the parts of three seasons, Dark played 258 games with the Cardinals, batting .289 with nine homers and 106 RBIs over that span. In May 1958, the Cardinals traded him to the Cubs for Jim Brosnan.

Katt played just 47 games for the Cardinals before he was traded to the Cubs that December as part of another eight-player trade. Lockman’s tenure wasn’t much longer, as he was traded back to the Giants in February 1957.

Liddle, whom Lane had considered key to the deal, went 1-2 with an 8.39 ERA in 24 2/3 innings in St. Louis. He spent the entire 1957 season in Triple-A Omaha before retiring.

The players the Giants received had mixed results in the years to come. Brandt missed the 1957 campaign due to military service but went on to win a Gold Glove in 1959 and was an all-star with the Orioles in 1961. He went on to enjoy an 11-year major-league career.

Littlefield went 4-4 for the Giants during the remainder of the 1956 season before they traded him to the Dodgers for Jackie Robinson. When Robinson refused to report to his new team, the trade was voided and Littlefield was subsequently traded to the Cubs.

Sarni played 78 games for the Giants in 1956. The following spring, at age 29, he suffered a heart attack that ended his playing career.

Schoendienst hit .296 with the Giants for the remainder of the 1956 season. The following June, the Giants traded him to the Braves for Ray Crone, Danny O’Connell, and Bobby Thomson. In Milwaukee, Schoendienst won the second World Series of his career and finished the season with a league-high 200 hits. He placed third in that season’s NL MVP vote behind Henry Aaron and Musial.

In 1958, Schoendienst was diagnosed with tuberculosis. The life-threatening condition required surgery and four months of bed rest, costing him the entire 1959 season. He played a reserve role for the Braves in 1960 before requesting his release and returning to the Cardinals in 1961. He played the final three years of his career in St. Louis before hanging up his cleats to begin his coaching career.

Schoendienst managed the Cardinals from 1965 through 1976, guiding the team to the World Series championship in 1967 and the NL pennant in 1968. After two years as a coach for the Athletics, Schoendienst returned to St. Louis once again, this time as a coach and special assistant to the general manager. He remained with the Cardinals organization until his passing in 2018.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.

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[1] Red Schoendienst with Rob Rains (1998), Red: A Baseball Life, Sports Publishing, Page VII.

[2] Jack Herman, “Uncomfortable Silence Marks Cardinals’ Trip,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 15, 1956.

[3] Robert L. Burnes, “The Bench Warmer,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 15, 1956.

[4] “Cards Reported Planning 3-Way Deal,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 13, 1956.

[5] Bob Broeg, “Lane Tones Down Trade Talks After 3-Way Meeting,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 13, 1956.

[6] Bob Broeg, “Lane Tones Down Trade Talks After 3-Way Meeting,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 13, 1956.

[7] Bob Broeg, “Schoendienst Goes To Giants in 8-Player Trade; Cards Get Lockman, Dark, Katt And Don Liddle,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 14, 1956.

[8] Robert L. Burnes, “Schoendienst Traded to Giants in 8-Player Deal,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 15, 1956.

[9] Bob Broeg, “Tighter Defense Cardinals’ Chief Gain in Trade, Lane Thinks,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 15, 1956.

[10] Jack Herman, “‘Team Couldn’t Win’-Lane,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 15, 1956.

[11] Robert L. Burnes, “Schoendienst Traded to Giants in 8-Player Deal,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 15, 1956.

[12] Robert L. Burnes, “Schoendienst Traded to Giants in 8-Player Deal,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 15, 1956.

[13] Milton Richman, “We Get Brandt or No Deal, Giants Told Trader Lane,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 15, 1956.

[14] “Rigney Happy, Says Brandt May Be ‘Sleeper’ in Deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 15, 1956.

[15] Robert L. Burnes, “The Bench Warmer,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 15, 1956.

[16] Bob Broeg, “Tighter Defense Cardinals’ Chief Gain in Trade, Lane Thinks,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 15, 1956.

[17] Red Schoendienst with Rob Rains (1998), Red: A Baseball Life, Sports Publishing, Page 82.

The post Why Red Schoendienst was traded to the Giants in 1956 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Cunningham had been with the Cardinals’ International League affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings, on June 29 when manager Harry Walker informed the 22-year-old that he was being called up to the majors to take the roster spot of Cardinals first baseman Tom Alston, who made history earlier that season as the first black player to make the Cardinals’ major-league club.

Interestingly, rather than leaving immediately for Cincinnati, where the Cardinals were playing the Redlegs, Cunningham played Rochester’s scheduled doubleheader before heading to the majors.

“I was so happy and surprised I hardly could see up there at the plate,” said Cunningham, who went hitless in his seven at-bats.[1]

In preparation for Rochester’s upcoming road trip, Cunningham had sent out his laundry, which meant that he would have to join the Cardinals without his clothes. Even worse, the doubleheader ran long, causing him to miss his train. To make it to Cincinnati, Rochester’s publicity staffer drove him to the Buffalo airport, where he caught a flight and arrived in the Queen City in midafternoon. He signed his Cardinals contract after 7 p.m.[2]

Cunningham’s debut came against Redlegs righthander Art Fowler, a 31-year-old rookie from South Carolina whose minor league journey had taken him to the Bristol Twins, Danville Leafs, Jersey City Giants, Minneapolis Millers, Jacksonville Tars, Atlanta Crackers, and Milwaukee Brewers.

In the first inning, center fielder Wally Moon (who homered in his first major-league at-bat earlier in the season) led off the game with a double and scored on an RBI single by Ray Jablonski. The Reds answered in the bottom half of the inning when Gus Bell hit a solo home run off Cardinals starter Brooks Lawrence.

The game remained tied until Cunningham broke it open in the fifth. After Moon drew a walk and Red Schoendienst singled, Jablonski hit his second RBI single of the game to give the Cardinals the lead. The lefthanded-swinging Cunningham then pulled a three-run homer over the right-field wall to make the score 5-1 and chase Fowler from the ballgame.

Two innings later, after Moon and Schoendienst led off with singles, the Redlegs intentionally walked Jablonski to load the bases and face Cunningham with one out. Cunningham rose to the challenge, punching a two-run single up the middle. Rip Repulski followed with a three-run homer, quickly giving the Cardinals a 10-1 lead.

Repulski hit another home run in the ninth inning to give him four RBIs on the day and make the final score 11-3. The two homers gave Repulski 14 on the season.

Moon finished with three hits and three runs scored, and Schoendienst, Jablonski, Cunningham, and Repulski each scored twice.

Lawrence, making just the second start of his career, worked around nine hits and five walks for the complete-game win. He went on to enjoy a 15-6 rookie campaign for the Cardinals even as he led the league with eight hit batsmen.

Cardinals manager was pleased with both rookies, though he cautioned reporters not to read too much into Cunningham’s debut, especially with the Braves expected to start Warren Spahn the following day.

“Don’t go overboard,” Stanky said. “I thought enough of this boy to want him, yes, but I told him that while I’d be happy if he hit .300, I’d be satisfied with .270. Let’s wait at least until he faces a good lefthander – Warren Spahn.”[3]

In the Cardinals’ 9-2 win over the Braves, Cunningham hit two homers – both off of Spahn. His second-inning home run was a solo shot, and in the third inning he hit a three-run homer to give him nine RBIs in his first two games.

“I’ve seen it before – one man give a ball club a shot in the arm, that is – and I believe the kid has done it,” Stanky said. “Gerry Staley, who hadn’t been pitching, comes in with a great relief job, and Stan Musial, who hadn’t been hitting, rips the cover off the ball.

“Cunningham is so strong he even squeezes the hell out of your hand when you shake it as he rounds third base on his way home.”

Cunningham went on to bat .284/.375/.445 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs. Despite his successful rookie campaign, the Cardinals encouraged him to change his batting stance in 1955.[4] The adjustment didn’t work, as he struggled in spring training, then suffered an injury after he was hit in the head by a pitch. Instead of returning Cunningham to first base, the Cardinals opted to move Musial to first and send Cunningham back to Rochester, where he spent all of 1955 and most of 1956.

It wasn’t until 1957 that Cunningham returned to the majors and enjoyed the best seasons of his career. That year, he hit .318 with a .439 on-base percentage. In 1958, he hit .312 with a .449 on-base percentage and a career-high 12 homers.

In 1959, at a time when the majors played two all-star games per season, Cunningham made both of his career all-star appearances. That year marked the high point of his career as he hit .345 with a .453 on-base percentage to lead all of baseball.

Though Cunningham never again hit over .300, he did hit .280 and .286, respectively, in the final two years of his Cardinals career. After the 1961 season, the Cardinals traded Cunningham to the White Sox for Minnie Minoso. In seven seasons in St. Louis, Cunningham hit .304 with a .413 on-base percentage.

“He kept us loose,” teammate Bill White said. “He was always there with the positive word and attitude. He did not have as much ability as a lot of guys, but he made up for it by hustling. He was just an old-timer.”[5]

Cunningham played the final five years of his career with the White Sox and Senators. He finished his 12-year major-league career with 980 hits, a .291 career batting average, and a .403 on-base percentage.

After his career ended, Cunningham served as a minor-league coach for the Cardinals before joining the front office and becoming the team’s director of sales. He also was a coach on the Cardinals’ 1982 World Series championship team.

Cunningham passed away in March 2021.

“Joe was a great ambassador for us for many years and a pillar in the community,” team president Bill DeWitt III said in a statement after Cunningham’s passing. “He was also a warm, positive person with a great wit. He will be sorely missed.”[6]

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[1] “Rookie in Such a Hurry to Join Redbirds He Left Clothes Behind,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 1, 1954.

[2] “Rookie in Such a Hurry to Join Redbirds He Left Clothes Behind,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 1, 1954.

[3] “Haddix’s Injury Not Serious,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 2, 1954.

[4] “Joe Cunningham Vows to Return,” Herald-News, July 5, 1955.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Popular player, coach for Cards dies at 89,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 26, 2021.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Popular player, coach for Cards dies at 89,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 26, 2021.

The post Joe Cunningham drives in five in his debut: June 30, 1954 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Prior to the game, sportswriter Archibald Gordon “Tiger” Murray asked Cardinals manager Eddie Stanky, “Who is the best player in baseball? Stan Musial?”

“You have just asked and answered your own question,” Stanky replied.[1]

Musial seemed determined to prove it in that day’s doubleheader against the Giants.

Musial’s three homers in Game 1 were part of a 10-6 Cardinals win. Wally Moon, who went on to win that season’s NL Rookie of the Year Award, began the Cardinals’ scoring with a leadoff home run in the first inning. Tom Alston, who became the first black player in Cardinals history when he started in the season opener a few weeks earlier, followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0.

In the third inning, Musial hit his first home run of the day off a slow curveball[2] from Giants pitcher Johnny Antonelli, hitting the ball off the roof of the right-field pavilion to give the Cardinals a three-run lead.

After the Giants rallied for three runs off Cardinals starter Gerry Staley to tie the score, Alston hit an inside-the-park home run in the fourth. The Giants regained the lead, however, as Whitey Lockman and Wes Westrum hit back-to-back home runs to give New York a one-run lead.

Once again, Musial answered. After Red Schoendienst reached on an error, Musial hit his second home run of the day. This time, Antonelli challenged Musial with a low, inside fastball.[3] The result, however, remained the same: Musial again hit the ball to the roof of the right-field pavilion to give St. Louis a 6-5 lead.

Musial singled to right in the sixth, then came to bat in the bottom of the eighth with the game tied 6-6. Moon had led off the inning with a single and Schoendienst drew a walk to put runners on first and second ahead of Musial. Jim Hearn, a former teammate of Musial’s who played for the Cardinals from 1947 until 1950, tried a slider.[4] For the third time that day, Musial hit the ball onto the roof of the right-field pavilion.[5]

“Man,” Alston said, “every time I watch Stan hit, I’m ashamed to take a bat up to the plate.”[6]

It marked the first time in Musial’s big-league career that he had ever hit three home runs in one game. Afterward, Musial and his wife Lil recalled that he once hit three homers in a game with the Cardinals’ Class C Springfield affiliate. Musial explained that while his wife Lil was in the ballpark that day, she didn’t see any of his home runs because their son Dickie’s “calls of nature” had coincided with each of Musial’s homers.[7]

After eating a sandwich and a glass of milk between games,[8] Musial made his way back to the field for Game 2. On his way, teammate Al Brazle, a veteran lefthander, told him, “Hit three more, kid, and I’ll buy you a beer.”[9]

Musial nearly earned that beer.

In his first at-bat of Game 2, he walked and scored on an RBI double by Alston, who had gone 4-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs in Game 1. In the third inning, Musial again hit the ball hard, but Giants center fielder Willie Mays caught the ball at the warning track about 410 feet from home plate.[10]

The Giants held an 8-3 lead by the time Musial came to bat in the fifth. With Schoendienst on third following a leadoff triple, Musial hit Wilhelm’s curveball[11] over the right-field pavilion roof. Ray Jablonski followed with solo home run to cut the Giants’ lead to 8-6.

Two innings later, Musial hit his fifth homer of the day, this time hitting a knuckleball from Wilhelm over the pavilion roof to cut the Giants’ lead to 8-7. As he rounded the bases, Stanky said, Musial not only cracked a smile, but laughed at the absurdity of a five-homer day.[12]

Musial had an opportunity for home run No. 6 when he led off the ninth inning against Larry Jansen, but he flied out to first base.

“Jansen got me out on a bad pitch – a high fastball inside,” Musial said. “Yeah, I was going for one that time.”[13]

After the game, reporters helpfully informed Musial that his five home runs marked a major-league record.

“I still can’t believe it,” Musial said. “You mean real sluggers like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ralph Kiner – men like them – never hit five homers in a doubleheader?”[14]

Ironically, the only other man to ever hit five homers in a single day also was in the ballpark that day.[15] Eight-year-old Nate Colbert, who was cheering on the Cardinals that day, tied Musial’s record on August 1, 1972, in a doubleheader against the Braves.

Musial’s historic achievement drew the attention of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Director Sid Keener, a former St. Louis sportswriter, asked Musial for the bat, but understood if Musial wanted to continue using it for a while. Musial, however, was happy to send it to the Hall of Fame.

“I got a lot of bats,” he said.[16]

With five homers and nine RBIs for the game, Musial was up to eight home runs and 21 RBIs in 16 games to start the season. Usually a slow starter, he credited Stanky with playing him regularly during spring training.

“I’m sharper this spring because I played in more exhibition games,” Musial said. “I think that was Stanky’s planning for the simple reason I’ve always been a slow starter. I feel better at the plate now than I have in years because I’ve played more this spring.”[17]

Stanky, however, wasn’t having it.

“All I’ve got to say is he’s trying to be nice,” Stanky said. “He had the same start he had other years with me. Any and all credit due goes to that fellow. He’s just trying to be nice and pass the buck.”[18]

After basking in the acclaim of the sporting press, Musial returned home that evening to be greeted by his son Dickie.

“They must have been giving you fat pitches, eh, Dad?” the 13-year-old said.[19]

Musial finished the season with a .330 batting average, 35 homers, and 126 RBIs. He led the league with 41 doubles and 120 runs scored.

Musial was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot in 1969.

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[1] Bob Broeg, “Musial’s Five Homers in Doubleheader a New Major League Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[2] Bob Broeg, “Musial’s Five Homers in Doubleheader a New Major League Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[3] Bob Broeg, “Musial’s Five Homers in Doubleheader a New Major League Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[4] Bob Broeg, “Musial’s Five Homers in Doubleheader a New Major League Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[5] Bob Broeg, “Musial’s Five Homers in Doubleheader a New Major League Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[6] “Raschi to Pitch Tonight,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[7] Bob Broeg, “Musial’s Five Homers in Doubleheader a New Major League Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[8] Bob Broeg, “Musial’s Five Homers in Doubleheader a New Major League Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[9] “Stan Taxes Memory – Can’t Recall ‘Day Like This,’” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, May 3, 1954.

[10] Bob Broeg, “Musial’s Five Homers in Doubleheader a New Major League Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[11] Bob Broeg, “Musial’s Five Homers in Doubleheader a New Major League Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[12] Bob Broeg, “Musial’s Five Homers in Doubleheader a New Major League Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[13] Bob Broeg, “Musial’s Five Homers in Doubleheader a New Major League Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[14] Bob Broeg, “Musial’s Five Homers in Doubleheader a New Major League Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 1954.

[15] Craig Muder, “Musial sets standard with five home runs in doubleheader,” Baseball Hall of Fame, https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/musial-hits-five-homers-in-doubleheader.

[16] “Musial’s Home-Run Bat to Cooperstown,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 4, 1954.

[17] “Stan Taxes Memory – Can’t Recall ‘Day Like This,’” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, May 3, 1954.

[18] “Stan Taxes Memory – Can’t Recall ‘Day Like This,’” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, May 3, 1954.

[19] Bob Broeg, “‘Fat Pitches?’ Asks Dickie After Dad Stan’s Big Day,” The Sporting News, May 12, 1954.

The post May 2, 1954: Stan Musial hits record five home runs in doubleheader vs. Giants first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.